Valery Bryusov

Valery Bryusov, painted in 1906 and held at the Tretyakov Gallery, depicts one of the central figures of Russian Symbolism — the poet Valery Yakovlevich Bryusov, founder of the journal Vesy (The Scales) and the leading theorist of Russian Symbolist poetry. By 1906, Vrubel's mental health had severely deteriorated; he had been institutionalized repeatedly and was losing his sight. This portrait was painted during one of his periods of relative lucidity and represents one of his last major works. The choice of Bryusov as subject was deeply significant: Vrubel and Russian Symbolism were intertwined. His Demon paintings, his Pan, his Swan Princess were the visual counterparts to the spiritual and psychological concerns of Symbolist literature. Bryusov celebrated Vrubel's work extensively. That Vrubel could still produce a work of this psychological intensity while his mental faculties were declining makes the portrait all the more remarkable. The Tretyakov's holding of this work places it within the national collection of Russian art.

The portrait shows Vrubel's characteristically unconventional approach to flesh modeling, with directional brushwork that builds the face from interlocking planes of unexpected color. Bryusov's face is given an intense, almost feverish quality through the handling of light and the precise observation of the poet's strong, angular features. The background is relatively simple, directing all energy to the sitter.